List of Saladin Forge quotes

Saladin's induction speech

"Nothing born is born strong.

"I know I began weak, the same as you. I don't care if you're an Exo, staring at that number and wondering where you've come from. Or a Human hungry to understand the ancient world that left you for dead. Or an Awoken reborn in the very essence of what your people hide from. Together, we're the pointed end of a long stick of happenstance. Change one ripple in an ancient ocean and we would never have been granted the Light within us, or the good Ghosts that want to help us.

"Humble origins.

"Every world begins as a big pebble lost among trillions of pebbles. Every worthy sun was once cold hydrogen spread thin across the vacuum. Even the universe, this cosmic garden that surrounds us and awes us... this monument to Creation was once the size of an apple seed. And everything that's splendid and great stands at the end of incalculable chance and mayhem.

"Yes, you have talents. Enormous, wondrous powers. But you should put the smirk away. Do you know what a Guardian is? Not yet. Your name is another pebble. You are a cold apple seed.

"But you will grow."

Felwinter Peak (Destiny)

Idle dialogue

• "I suppose you want me to tell you a tale. Newer Guardians always do. Lady Efrideet once threw me into a Fallen Walker. Our combined arc energies made short work of it. My Ghost was chortling as he brought me back to life. [scoffs] I was furious... but I still asked Efrideet if she wanted a seat among the Iron Lords."
• "You want a story, is that it? My Ghost woke me on the battlefields of Russia much like yours did. I quickly learned to deal death before it came for me. Yours has been the more honorable path."
• "Be kind to your Ghost, Guardian. It went through endless shadow to find you and it will burn every spark it has to keep you safe."
• "Taking a respite from the brutality down in the Cosmodrome? The battlefields of the Dark Age were equally vicious. Only by becoming the brightest light on the field was I able to end the violence and broker any sort of peace."
• "In the Dark Age, I lacked the audacity to dream of peace. This temple was supposed to be the beginning..."
• "I have tried and failed to broker peace with the Fallen across the ages. If they want war, they'll get it."
• "SIVA is one of the many threats I hoped this planet would never see again."
• "It's the most difficult challenges that a Guardian lives for and SIVA is such a challenge."
• "Hell's loose in Old Russia. I pray the City isn't next."
• "This is far from the first battle the Cosmodrome has seen, but it will stand as the most important."
• "You look uncertain. I'll say to you what Lady Perun said to me on the eve of my first battle: "do not let your fears define you.""
• "The Cosmodrome has long been a place of sacred Light. That Light is in danger now."
• "The Devil Splicers march across Old Russia. How will your Light push them back if you're standing here, Warlock?"
• "Your Light proves your strength, Titan."
• "Careful, Hunter, you're within striking distance. If I were a Devil Splicer, I'd have you."
• "How will your swiftness stop the Devil Splicers if you're just standing here, Hunter?"
• "So, the Splicers set aside Servitor-worship to become machine-gods themselves. SIVA is a terrifying enabler."
• "Shiro's report suggests the Splicers' control of SIVA was improving. Worrisome..."
• "Perhaps you'll succeed where the Iron Lords failed. You must."
• "The Devil Splicers' hunt for SIVA will continue. We must be vigilant!"
• "Face the Fallen with caution: they're not just scavengers, not anymore."
• "Splicers aren't mere scavengers. They long to evolve beyond Fallen, beyond Humans — perhaps even beyond gods."
• "Fallen machines joined with SIVA. I don't envy the new generation for what they must face."
• "The Splicer Prime is beaten, but his followers remain a threat. We must be ready."
• "You've stopped a Fallen machine-god, but the Devil Splicers are still out there."
• "If the Splicers are seeking godhood, I doubt this will end with SIVA."
• "The Devils will seek out other SIVA caches. We must be there to intercept them when they do."
• "Splicers aren't unique to the Devils. We can only hope the other Houses do not find inspiration in what's transpired here."
• "This won't be the end. The Devil Splicers add Fallen to their ranks every moment."
• "With our victory in the vault, our Light has drawn a hard border on the spread of SIVA."
• "Even with SIVA at their command, the Fallen stood no chance against the Young Wolf."
• "My vigil has ended. For the first time in centuries, tomorrow is unwritten."
• "Is the Vanguard looking for fireteams? My schedule is clear tomorrow."
• "What now? The Cabal on Mars? The Vex across time? I'll crush them all."
• "I was impressed with your handling of the Taken, seizing the initiative on the Dreadnaught." [grunts] "I wish more Guardians showed such forethought."
• "So many seek to destroy us: the Devil Splicers, the Taken. Let them come. They face Saladin Forge renewed."
• "Every trial I've orchestrated under the Iron Banner has been in preparation for here and now."
• "I'd hope the Iron Banner would prepare Guardians for this day but SIVA manifesting like this, under the Fallen... that was unforeseen, as many things are."
• "The Iron Lords left an oath unfulfilled. The Guardians will see it through."
• "You're the most resilient Guardian I know. Whatever drives you hold onto it."
• "Our Light is all that will sustain us against SIVA."
• "To give your life for others is to answer the highest calling. The Iron Lords answered with pride."
• "All Guardians owe an unpayable debt to the Iron Lords. Perhaps one day they will know the full extent."
• "The Guardians will learn from this, if they survive."
• "Why are you idling, Guardian? I envy everything you have to accomplish. For the first time since the Dark Age, I have no duty left to fulfill."
• "The Iron Lords rose from this temple. It's yours to defend now, Guardian. You wield its powers of Light."
• "Admiring the architecture? Lord Silimar and I built this temple during the Dark Age. Twelve times. War kept unmaking it."
• "During the Dark Age, Lord Silimar and I built this temple in the midst of endless war."
• "The Iron Temple isn't just a memorial, Guardian. It was our base of operation in Old Russia, as well as our armory."
• "The most powerful force in the universe is purpose: to exist for a reason greater than oneself. That is what it means to stand before the Iron Temple."
• "Lady Skorri wrote the Iron Song behind these walls. Sadly, I can't remember how it goes."
• "Skorri, I won't sing in your stead, but at least I can hear the Iron Song again."
• "Skorri, SIVA has come again. My axe will sing in your stead."
• "The songs that Skorri would've written for you, they would've set the sky ablaze."
• "At times like this I can't help but think of Lady Jolder. She gave her smile so freely. Sometimes it feels like Guardians today have smiles glued to their faces."
• "Standing there you remind me of a young Lady Jolder staring defiantly into the face of death... except she'd be dancing."
• "Radegast, after all these years, our mission is finally over and I still wonder what you would say."
• "I wish Radegast could've seen you with his own eyes."
• "Your fellow Guardians will look to you now. Among the Iron Lords, we looked to Radegast for inspiration. There was a time of Warlords and Light battled Light across the world — different struggle surely, but never discount the effect you have on those around you."
• "So many young Guardians don't know why the Iron Lords formed. We fought corrupt Lightbearers who ruled by the Traveler's gift. We fought the Fallen as they tried to take what little territory humanity had left. We fought the whole world and eventually we turned that endless war into the Last City."
• "Rest easy, Radegast. SIVA's burden is ours to bear now."
• "No time to waste. Keep fighting, Guardian, for those who no longer can."
• "Tyra can ask for whatever she wants: one does not host academic functions inside the Iron Temple."
• "As you speak with Tyra, bear in mind: she views the Iron Lords as facts and figures, an idea to be categorized. But we were flesh. From the start, we tried to be the ideal for others like us to follow. It's why you're here today."
• "I will leave it to Shiro to report to the Vanguard the details of what happened here. The truth deserves someone more... objective."
• "Feed the dragon that is your Light and it will arm you with a fire no weapon can match."
• "Iron Lord and Guardian. You are the first and only to hold both titles."

Approach dialogue

• "The Lord Guardian. Always an honor."
• "I never thought I would live to see a new Iron Lord. Wear the mantle well."
• "And so the Young Wolf approaches."
• "And what can I do for the Young Wolf today?"
• "Lord Guardian. What news from the front?"
• "Good. We have much to discuss."
• "I believe you're the only one equipped to finish what the Iron Lords began."
• "It is time to feed your Light."
• "Will your Light prove its swiftness, Hunter?"
• "I know you're fast, Hunter. Prove you're tough."
• "You're powerful, Titan, but can you be fast?"
• "You're sharp, Warlock, but how are you in a fight?"
• "Warlock, your Light is a weapon. Let me see its glory."
• "Light isn't a compliment to your weapon. It is your weapon."
• "Your Light must never relent. The Devil Splicers will return."
• "Felwinter Peak agrees with you, Guardian."
• "I knew SIVA would not deter one such as you. Not in the slightest."
• "You've lifted a great burden off my shoulders, Lord Guardian."
• "Thanks to you, I face the future with new eyes."
• "The old ways are better, wouldn't you agree?"
• "I wish you could've met your fellow Iron Lords. You would've taught each other much."

Interact dialogue

• "Lord Guardian. The honor is mine."
• "Talk to me."
• "Tell me what you've seen."
• "Everything under control out there?"
• "Any news from the field?"
• "The Iron Temple needs you."
• "SIVA will test all that you are... as will I."
• "SIVA is out there. Are you ready?"
• "Show me your iron will."
• "Time to feed your Light."
• "It's time to fight!"
• "I'm eager to see Light in action."
• "Show me your Light."
• "Everywhere you go, Devils fall."
• "Your Light has brought us peace... for now."
• "The raid on that vault — I knew that would be our Young Wolf."
• "I suppose where you walk even SIVA machine-gods fall."
• "How did the Devils react when you killed their god?"
• "You succeeded where the Iron Lords fell. No small accomplishment."
• "The immortal who finally tamed SIVA. Welcome."
• "My comrades are finally at peace thanks to you."
• "Perhaps every Guardian should just assign bounties to you!"
• "A time will come when I'll have nothing to teach you."
• "Lord Guardian. The first and only."

Purchase dialogue

• "As Guardians, our battle never ends. May this aid you."
• "This will grow your Light."
• "You wield the Light with conviction."
• "This shows you have power. Use it well."
• "You are worthy of this."
• "May this help you in your quest."
• "A gift from the old traditions."
• "With this, I acknowledge your power, Guardian."

Leave dialogue

• "Your Light is a dragon. Feed it."
• "You can't pave the way to the future if you don't respect the bones of the past."
• "Take your Light to the stars, Guardian."
• "Come back stronger."
• "I enjoy our time together, Guardian. Let's hope you come back in one piece."
• "Your Light will guide you home. Trust in it."
• "You're fast, Hunter, but your Light's faster. Trust it."
• "It's time to drawl, Hunter."
• "The Light is your power, Titan."
• "The City needs your cunning, Warlock, and your Light."

Iron Banner (Destiny)

• "Are you up to the challenge?"
• "Have you been tested?"
• "The Iron Banner offers much suffering, but equal reward."
• "Odds are you are not ready for the Iron Banner."
• "Let the Iron Banner shape you."
• "Have you proved yourself... worthy?"
• "Only the strongest need prove themselves to the Iron Banner"
• "Your Light will be tested, Guardian... and you will be stronger for it."
• "Until we meet again, Guardian"
• "The weak-willed need not apply."
• "You have never been tested like this."
• "No games. No sympathy. Just survival."
• "We recognize strength, Guardian."
• "Simply finishing isn't enough if you want to reap the best rewards, Guardian. Prove yourself."

The Tower (Destiny 2)

Distant dialogue

• "Before the Vanguard, the Iron Lords were the authority."
• "The old way is best. The Iron Banner is the old way."
• "The Iron Banner is war. Are you prepared to fight it?"
• "The old ways are better."
• "No limits in the Iron Banner."
• "The Iron Banner does not aim to be gracious."
• "This won't be easy, nothing worth doing is easy."
• "The Iron Lords are watching."
• "Bring your fiercest Light. You'll need it."
• "You know battle. Do you know your Light?"
• "Your Light is what makes you a Guardian. Come, test it."
• "Light doesn't grow unless you feed it worthy opponents."

Near dialogue

• "To give your life so that others may live is to answer the highest calling. The Iron Lords answered with pride."
• "Gheleon... how you would have relished this Red War."
• "Felwinter would've embraced this battle with the Red Legion."
• "A Shard of the Traveler in the European Dead Zone... sounds straight out of a child's fairy tale."
• " [grunts] In our prime, the Iron Lords would have avenged the attack on the Tower."
• "SIVA wasn't the only legend the Iron Lords kept track of. The network of Warmind bunkers on this world is vast and the Golden Age relics they hold are numerous. With the Traveler returned, perhaps it's time to quest for them once more."
• "New Guardians in the Tower. They will learn."
• "Your generation doesn't respect Light as you should. One day you may have to."
• "Being a Guardian means you wield the Light, that you're a protector of the last of humanity, that you have a duty to this Tower, to this, to keep it safe."
• "The time has come, Guardians. The Iron Banner has returned."
• "Zavala needs you, but I need you, too."
• "Your Vanguard missions serve the good of the City, but your battles in the Iron Banner make you a better Guardian."
• "Your Vanguard record is impressive. The Iron Banner forges Guardians to do good work."
• "The Iron Banner is a celebration of survival, of the Collapse, of the Dark Age. It is a remembrance of the Iron Lords who fought to protect humanity."
• "This tournament celebrates the old ways. Come test your mettle."
• "To set limits on your Light is to stifle your potential. The Crucible is not enough: embrace the Iron Banner."
• "Your performance in the Crucible is impressive, but it would be better with greater Light. No don't tell me, the response is always, "I've hit the ceiling, this is as far as I can go." Do you think we said that at Six Fronts?"
• "A Guardian is a greater challenge than any external enemy."
• "You're facing your allies at their best. Come prepared."
• "You're one of the best. The iron Banner breaks the best."
• "The Iron Banner awaits. Find opponents. Test your might."
• "Annihilate your opponents. Reap their glory."
• "Light is something you feed over time that you grow. There is no windfall, there is no respite. If you arrive hoping you have what it takes... you won't."
• "Respect your Light. It could mean the difference between life and death."
• "Weapons and armor can only do so much. Trust your Light. Feed it."
• "Warlock, your Light is a weapon. Let me see its glory."
• "The Iron Banner is an arms race. Can you win it?"
• "Hone your Light, Guardian. No wasted effort. Ever."
• "Grow stronger, you must. The City needs you."
• "You're Sharp, Warlock, but how are you in a fight?"
• "Careful, Hunter. You're within striking distance."
• "Instead of idling here testing my resolve, you could be fighting for the armor of the Iron Banner."

Approach dialogue

• "Will your Light prove its swiftness, Hunter?"
• "I know you're ready for the Iron Banner, Guardian."
• "Focus, Guardian. It's time to fight!"
• "Are you prepared for the Iron Banner?"

Interact dialogue

• "Tower missions are important, but so are the old traditions."
• "Ready for a battle with no limits?"
• "It's time you face the fury of Light unbridled."
• "To test your Light is to test everything."
• "Show me your Light, Warlock."
• "Don't try to impress me in the Crucible. Just get better."
• "Fight, Guardian. No one will fight for you."
• "It's time to fight."
• "The Iron Banner has come whether you seek it or not."
• "The Iron Banner wants to put your cunning to use, Warlock."

Purchase dialogue

• "May this feed the dragon that is your Light."
• "With this, I acknowledge your power, Guardian."
• "May you grow from this."
• "As Guardians, our battle never ends. May this aid you."
• "A gift from the old traditions."
• "May this help you in your quest."
• "This means you have power. Use it well."

Leave dialogue

• "You can't pave the way to the future if you don't respect the bones of the past."
• "Keep growing your Light."
• "Take your Light to the stars, Guardian."
• "Come back stronger."
• "Then go. Be the Guardian we need you to be."
• "Your Light will guide you home. Trust in it."
• "Into the fire, Guardian!"

Idle dialogue from Season of the Chosen (before the ceasefire)

• "We cannot trust the Warmind. Even now, he might plot our doom and we gave him the means."
• "I wish you could have learned from Jolder. She knew how to respond to tyrants like Caiatl."
• "This strike force is a half measure, like most of Zavala's choices."
• "You don't find it suspicious that Rasputin was "disabled" so easily?"
• "I failed to defend the City from Ghaul. I won't fail again."
• "Twice now, Rasputin has failed to stop the Darkness. A foolish alliance."
• "We break our backs to feed that Warmind, and for what?"
• "We ally with the Warmind, but draw the line at Caiatl? What logic is that?"
• "I want position and vector on that tank every half hour."

Idle dialogue from Season of the Chosen (after the ceasefire)

• "We could've destroyed the Cabal. Instead, they linger like starving hounds."
• "The Warmind and a Cabal Empress at our table. Why not invite a Hive God as well?"
• "I've been fighting wars since Zavala was still bones and dust. Whose experience will you trust?"
• "Zavala, your idealism is what holds you back."
• "A truce is temporary, Guardian. A victory is forever! Which would you rather have?"

Iron Banner (Destiny 2)

• "Iron Banner Control."
• "In the Dark Age, we called this 'fun'." - when picking up Power Ammo
• "This isn't over until Shaxx sings. And he is very shy."
• "Do you like it better when Lord Shaxx oversees these matches? So do I. A busy Shaxx, is a quiet Shaxx."
• "Die! Die! Di-(cough) Sorry. I've been watching too many Iron Banner matches. What time is it? Shaxx? Shaxx, are you there? Can you get me a water? Stop yelling, it's just a question. I'm not old!"
• "Your weapon defines you!" - when picking up Power Ammo
• "Rasputin is not to be trusted. That Warmind will do anything to get what it needs. Felwinter hoped Rasputin would help us. That hope costs me my brothers and sisters in arms: the Iron Lords. I will not abide losing you, Guardian. If it were up to me, we'd be at all-out war with Rasputin. But my time to lead is over. Our future is in your hands. Show me how you've grown. The Iron Banner will prepare you for what's coming."
• "They hear the howls and know fear."
• "The Cabal have a term for such a display: 'uro'ok nur'. You don't want to know what it translates to." - in Iron Banner matches after Season of the Risen

Saladin's Lesson to Crow - Operation Elbrus (Season of the Risen)

"Long ago, even before there was a Last City"

"I was deep on patrol in the old forest…"

"…when a local villager sought me out."

"They asked me to catch a thief."

"I told them the Iron Lords were no mercenaries,"

"But I saw their pride as well as their poverty."

"When they offered me a loaf of black bread instead of coin,"

"I agreed."

"Just before sunrise…"

"I caught my thief."

"A young girl, stealing what she could carry."

"Food when she could find it,"

"Coin when she couldn't."

"Weapons to protect what she had taken."

"There was no fear in her eyes."

"She said the bandits in the forest ordered her to steal in exchange for protection."

"The penalty for theft in those times was death."

"Instead, I pulled the crest from around my neck…"

"And pressed it into her hands."

"I told her the Wolves would protect her."

"In a settlement rich with stolen supplies, "

"I found the bandits and cut them down."

"Thirty-eight lives to spare one."

"And, for a time, I believed that was mercy."

"Many winters passed…"

"Before I found myself back in that part of the old forest"

"This time, no one sought me out,"

"So I sought them instead."

"Wind blew through rotted wood and rusted metal where the village once stood,"

"And behind it…"

"Graves."

"Then piled stones, then bare mounds of earth, and then…"

"…a pit."

"My blood was high."

"I tore through the forest, hunting for those responsible."

"Finally, in a settlement rich with stolen supplies…"

"I found her."

"A lightless woman…"

"With my crest around her neck."

"There was no fear in her eyes."

"She spoke plainly:

"When the villagers could no longer tithe, her wolves no longer protected them.

"She bled them dry, and when they had no more to give,

"She sent in her men.

"Unleashed her wolves.

"Mercy to an enemy cannot come at the cost of mercy for their victims.

"The right path isn't always easy to find.

"But once you do,

"The only question is whether you're strong enough to walk it."